Irreverent and passionate, this book is an ideal introduction for people who are convinced that opera is soley for those refined few who were born listening to arias. Written in short, humorous, and informative chapters, and laced with some of the opera world's juiciest anecdotes, this guide is sure to convert even the most ambivalent of music lovers. Line drawings.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
NOT Just for Beginners,
By A Customer
This review is from: Opera for Beginners (Writers and Readers Documentary Comic Book.) (Paperback)
This is an absolutely delightful little book. Much is covered in a highly readable and enjoyable style. Those who know nothing about opera, but would like to learn, will find this a fun and interesting introduction. Those, like myself, who love opera with a passion will also find Ron David's book to be a fun and interesting read -- not to mention "reference". I find that I turn to it often just to check on something. Mr. David's irreverent style is refreshing since I, too, believe that opera is for everyone. True soul music.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An extremely irreverent introduction to opera.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Opera for Beginners (Writers and Readers Documentary Comic Book.) (Paperback)
Opera for Beginners is, as the title says, for people who know nothing
about the subject. But the book is really for folks who want to learn one guy's opinion of it
(Ron David). Mr. David gives a concise and entertaining
history of the form, a review of 20th century opera singers,
and synopses of his 30 favorite operas. The book is about half
text, half cartoons. Always amusing, Mr. David tries to link
opera to gospel, rock and roll, and rhythm and blues. You may
not agree with his view that Mozart is an "overrated" composer
--I happen to think his operas are among the finest ever
written. But, he gives you something to think about. And,
a fine place to begin your exploration of opera. Just don't
think you're getting an exhaustive tome here--you can read
Opera for Beginners in an hour or two.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great for beginners,
By
This review is from: Opera for Beginners (Writers and Readers Documentary Comic Book.) (Paperback)
I'm new to opera, and this book was recommended by a family member as a good introduction. It's very thorough, and written in an accesible tone. The best thing about this book is that David, while clearly expressing which operas are his favorites, gives details on all different kinds of Opera so that the reader may decide where to start. I appreciated the descriptions of different voices (although a more thorough description of current singers would have been appreciated) and the discography was very helpful. David also provides the story lines of several operas at the end of the book, with comments on famous arias. I appreciated the descriptions of how opera styles have evolved, and the comparisons between them. David is good at providing short, humorous anecdotes about singers, performances and composers. My favorite anecdote is the one that tells of Toscanini at a performance of Wagner's Tristan and Isolde. In the middle of a very long duet, Toscanini turned to the person next to him and said "If they were Italian, they'd have seven children by now." These types of quips are not only a humorous addition to David's book, but he places them well as to accentuate the points that he is trying to make (in this case, the difference between Italian and German opera.) If you are looking for a quick, informative introduction to opera, this book is for you. I give it four stars instead of five, because I feel that some of the cartoonish side-comments are superfluous, and became a little annoying after awhile.
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